1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to utility hauling vehicles and more particularly relates to latches and supports for tailgates on cargo boxes of such vehicles.
2. Description of Related Art
Various hauling vehicle designs are known which include a cargo box having sidewalls and a tailgate which forms a rear wall thereof, the tailgate being mounted for pivoting about a horizontal axis at its bottom end between raised closed and lowered open positions.
Typically, a latch is provided at each upper corner of the tailgate for retaining the tailgate in its closed position and a flexible element, such as a cable, is provided which extends between each upper corner and the upper rear portion of each sidewall of the box for retaining the tailgate in an open position wherein it forms a horizontal extension of the bed or floor of the box.
These known tailgate latches and supports include many parts which, in most cases are either not designed or are not tight enough to keep the tailgate from rattling while the vehicle is operated with the tailgate open. For example, flexible cables suspend the tailgate but don't provide support against upward pivoting. Therefore, the tailgate (and cargo resting on the tailgate) may flop up and down as the vehicle travels across uneven terrain.
At least one such utility vehicle has sidewalls which also may be pivoted about a horizontal axis. Such a utility vehicle may be used, for example, to carry miscellaneous cargo or to transport injured and/or sick individuals from an off-road site to an ambulance or medical treatment facility.
Where the sidewalls are also pivotable to horizontal positions, however, cables may not be used in a conventional manner to support a tailgate because there is not an upright structure adjacent to the tailgate from which the tailgate can be suspended. One utility vehicle having sidewalls and a tailgate pivotable to transform the cargo box into an extended flat bed includes a complex system of pins, slots and slides used to hold the tailgate and sidewalls in a generally horizontal position. Such a system represents a relatively large cost to manufacture and maintain. Also, conversions from cargo box to flat bed, and vice versa, require substantial time and effort. In addition, the sliding movement of components requires a relatively precise alignment between parts. The relative sliding encourages wear of painted surfaces, which promotes rust. Dents in components or a moderate amount of dirt and debris may further hinder efficient operation.